Christian Pavihi Kumitau 21139301
Dylan Veiagina- 13839271
Cellular
Communications
In The Pacific
- What are Cellular Communications
- What kind of cellular communications do we already have in the pacific
- What new forms of cellular communications are being introduced and could
help improve economic and social growth in the pacific
- The opportunities it brings the people of the pacific
- But also the risks that come with it
Overview
- Cellular communication is a form of communication technology that enables the
use of mobile phones. A mobile phone is a bidirectional radio that enables
simultaneous transmission and reception. Cellular communication is based on the
geographic division of the communication coverage area into cells, and within
cells. Each cell is allocated a given number of frequencies (or channels) that
allow a large number of subscribers to conduct conversations simultaneously.
Cellular Communications
- GSM communication technology is based on the GSM standard the
first to use the cellular protocol that replaced the earlier first-generation
communication standard. This standard was developed by the European
Communications Standards Institute (ETSI), starting from 1982, for the
second generation (2G) of digital cellular communication.
Global System for Mobile (GSM)
- UTMS technology, based on Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA)
technology, is one of the third-generation (3G) technologies of mobile phone telephony.
This technology was designed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a
collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations to create a globally
applicable third-generation mobile phone system. In order to differentiate between UMTS
and other communication network technologies, it is sometimes marketed under the label
GSM3 a name that emphasizes its place in the third generation, and the fact that it
replaced the GSM in the second generation system.
Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems
(UMTS)
- A majority of islands have at least a 3G coverage
- Very few islands have access to 4G
- Fiji is working with Huawei to develop 5G coverage to it’s islands
What kinds of Cellular Communications can
you find in the pacific now?
- 4G is a loose term for the fourth generation of cellular communications, offering
speeds that are about 10 times faster than they are on current third-generation, or
3G, networks.
- 5G is the 5th generation mobile network and is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps
peak data speeds, ultra low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity,
increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users.
The Inroduction of 4G & 5G
- 4G & 5G would be a great addition to many islands as it would provide a much
faster connection to the internet and make productivity much more faster. For
example mobile coverage in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu jumped
from less than half od the population in 2005 to 93 per cent of the population in
2014 and they’ve only gone up from there. For a long time many countries in the
pacific didn’t even have any access to mobile phones, at times people would have to
travel for hours just to make a phone call. So with it being more accessible, families
are able to keep in touch no matter where they are in the world. This would benefit
not only the people mentally and financially but also open them up to a world ever
evolving and the endless opportunities.
The Inroduction of 4G & 5G
Opportunities
- The introduction of cellular communications has made contacting family members
around the world a lot easier. Benefitting peoples mental health.
- The introduction of 4G and 5G networks will increase the desirability of foreign
investors to set up business on the islands
- More tourists will visit the islands
Risks
- Given where the pacific islands are located the risk of natural disasters could effect
coverage
- The electromagnetic radiation used by all mobile phone technologies has led some
people to worry about increased health risks, including developing certain types of
cancer
References
- https://www.globalspec.com/reference/66227/203279/introduction-to-global-
system-for-mobile-communication-gsm
- https://www.globenewswire.com/news-
release/2021/05/05/2223102/0/en/South-Pacific-Islands-Telecoms-Mobile-
and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses.html
- https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n4253/pdf/book.pdf
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48616174
- https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-trends-
forecasts/8573-fiji-leads-pacific-islands-for-4g-and-5g-r-m.html
- https://www.zdnet.com/article/huawei-pushes-pacific-island-connectivity-
through-subsea-cables-4g-datacentres/
Roles
- Christian Pavihi-Kumitau: Head of Research , Powerpoint Design
- Dylan Veiagina: Also research , Head of Powerpoint Design
- We collaborated with everything in the project. Thank you for your time.
Ethical Issues
The ethical issues surrounding cellular communications in particular 5G vary from country
to country. While 5G is not yet available in the pacific the introduction would have a
massive impact on financial and social development. If we have an internet network
capable of being always on, we have the potential to have entire societies built into “the
cloud” so to speak — to the extent that almost every device, object, surface, building,
location is able to collect data and offer internet-based services and resources. The
pavement itself is tracking the speed at which you’re walking, your heart-rate, the shoes
you’re wearing, the route you’re taking. All as a means to hoover up data to then pass on
to whichever service suppliers or governmental organisations are willing to purchase it.
Just one aspect of what could be a city in which everything does similar things
transport networks synced perfectly to provide ample transport at the right time based
on the amount of footfall through their station doors, billboards tracking how long your
eyeballs rest on certain images to target adverts to exactly your preferences and tastes.
(https://medium.com/the-politicalists/the-political-and-ethical-problems-of-5g-
internet-7c5ab0ba9458)
Ethical Issues
The exert referenced in the last slide mentions how your privacy is at risk with the
introduction of 5G. With the ever evolving technological space and the ultra fast speeds
that 5G brings , it has a mixed bag of effects on the people that large corporations could
take advantage of especially with people in the islands that aren’t used to these forms of
technology. There are also concerns that 5G can cause cancer , In 2011, the International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) stated EMFs are “possibly carcinogenic” to
humans. The classification was determined by 30 scientists from 14 countries.
To date, most studies have examined the potential link between EMFs and brain cancer.
But the results have been inconsistent.
For example, a 2017 research review found that EMF radiation from mobile phones are
associated with glioma, a type of brain cancer. A 2018 study, on the other hand, did not
find a clear association between high frequency EMFs and brain tumors.
Again, more studies are needed to determine if 5G frequency can contribute to cancer
development. (https://www.healthline.com/health/is-5g-harmful#does-it-affect-
health) While the results are inconsistent we have to keep an open mind when accepting
new forms of technology into our society as the results could be deadly.